An altitude deviation resulted when an FK10 flight crew copied the wrong altimeter during descent on a STAR. First officer questioned the captain, but the flight crew did not query ATC until they were at their assigned altitude.

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Attributes
ACN	324090
Time
Date	199512
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : orw
State Reference	CT
Altitude	msl bound lower : 11000 msl bound upper : 11000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Fokker 100
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star enroute airway : zny
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	324090
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Ponee 1 STAR to isp. Cleared 17000 ft, bdl altimeter 30.21 inches. First officer off ATC getting ATIS and as first officer returned to ATC, reclred to cross wipor 11000 ft and 250 KTS, maintain 290 KTS or better, and altimeter 30.21 inches. Readback did not include altimeter setting due to need to clarify speed restr. First officer subsequently questioned altimeter setting with me, due to significant difference from destination. Did not question due to high workload. Changed to next controller issued pvd altimeter 29.61 inches which resulted in altitude deviation, since we were level 11000 ft on qnh 30.21. When time permitted, I checked with previous controller who said they had just had a shift change and he didn't know what altimeter setting we had been issued, but there was no problem with our altitude or traffic conflict. We will never know if 30.21 inches was issued or I heard it wrong, twice, at the end of a 13 1/2 hour duty period, but the lesson here is obvious. When in doubt, check.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ALTDEV RESULTED WHEN AN FK10 FLC COPIED THE WRONG ALTIMETER DURING DSCNT ON A STAR. FO QUESTIONED THE CAPT, BUT THE FLC DID NOT QUERY ATC UNTIL THEY WERE AT THEIR ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: PONEE 1 STAR TO ISP. CLRED 17000 FT, BDL ALTIMETER 30.21 INCHES. FO OFF ATC GETTING ATIS AND AS FO RETURNED TO ATC, RECLRED TO CROSS WIPOR 11000 FT AND 250 KTS, MAINTAIN 290 KTS OR BETTER, AND ALTIMETER 30.21 INCHES. READBACK DID NOT INCLUDE ALTIMETER SETTING DUE TO NEED TO CLARIFY SPD RESTR. FO SUBSEQUENTLY QUESTIONED ALTIMETER SETTING WITH ME, DUE TO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE FROM DEST. DID NOT QUESTION DUE TO HIGH WORKLOAD. CHANGED TO NEXT CTLR ISSUED PVD ALTIMETER 29.61 INCHES WHICH RESULTED IN ALTDEV, SINCE WE WERE LEVEL 11000 FT ON QNH 30.21. WHEN TIME PERMITTED, I CHKED WITH PREVIOUS CTLR WHO SAID THEY HAD JUST HAD A SHIFT CHANGE AND HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT ALTIMETER SETTING WE HAD BEEN ISSUED, BUT THERE WAS NO PROB WITH OUR ALT OR TFC CONFLICT. WE WILL NEVER KNOW IF 30.21 INCHES WAS ISSUED OR I HEARD IT WRONG, TWICE, AT THE END OF A 13 1/2 HR DUTY PERIOD, BUT THE LESSON HERE IS OBVIOUS. WHEN IN DOUBT, CHK.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.